HP NC8230 release?

acain or mtnmasher (or any NC8230/NW8220 owner):

Has anyone noticed if there is a fan or ventilation port on the bottom of the NC8230? I like to actually use a laptop on my lap but some machines will overheat because the vents become blocked.

also, what are the specs on the 5400rpm hard drives? 2mb or 8mb of cache?

finally, would it be possible to just replace the 400mhz 512 stick with a 533mhz stick? I find it odd that the pre-configured machines include only 400, yet the BTO machines are all 533 (especially strange considering I've seen better prices on the 533 parts).

thanks in advance!

 

murphya,

The fan brings air in from the bottom and it blows it out the side. A little heat comes from a spot just in front of the fan, the CPU I think, but it is not bad at all. I have been using it in my lap for the last 15 minutes deliberately blocking the fan intake, and haven't noticed a heat buildup. Normally, I dont notice the heat at all.

The HDD in my unit is a Fujitsu MHT2060AHPL. 5400rpm, 60GB. According to my web search it has 8MB cache.

I downloaded the Maintenance and Service Guide from mclassic's post on the previous page (4th from the bottom). There is a ton of information in it.

1. The nx8220 comes with either 64MB or 128MB video. The nc8230 only comes with a 64MB video card, but it lists a machine called the nc8320 that has 128MB.

2. All of the machines will accept 533MHZ DDR-II.

3. All of the machines will support a 7200rpm, 60GB HDD.

4. It explains how to remove and replace the touchpad units, but it implies that the three button version is exclusively for the nc8230, and the two button unit for the nx8220.

I think it sucks that HP doesn't offer more configuration options. I would gladly pay a few bucks extra for 533MHz RAM and a DVD burner. As it is, I would have to trash the RAM and DVD unit that came with the unit to get what I really want.

 

Has anyone done a side by side comparison between the nc8230 and the Acer Travelmate 8104WLMi? Any comments on the Acer keyboard?

 

mtnmasher, I agree with you about configuration options. I was fortunate to be able to configure the nc8230 the way I wanted. But, it comes at the expense of waiting for them to build it. The 128MB video option is presently on backorder. Who knows how long it will be before that part becomes available.

As far as the DVD burner, I have a desktop with a Plextor DVD burner. I couldn't justify the extra cash for a notebook burner that I probably won't use very much. Besides, I wanted to know exactly what type of burner I was getting since I burn DVDs quite frequently.

What type of DVD/CD-RW drive comes packaged with the nc8230? You might be able to purchase a burner from the same manufacturer at a place like Newegg and just change bezel on the drive. You could also purchase another memory module if you want to upgrade the RAM on your system.

I haven't seen an Acer Travelmate 8100 in-person. I did check out the Travelmate 1680 series just to get a feel for the 8100's dimensions. It has too much width and depth for my tastes. The best 15.4" system that I've found as far as size is the Winbook W322. The nc8230 is less than .25" larger in terms of depth, so I'm very happy about that.

I couldn't find an Acer with the angled keyboard like the Acer 8100 has either. It would have been nice to see how it would be to type on it.

 

mclassic,

I couldn't find the 128MB video option for the nc8230 at hp-online. Could you provide a link? Actually though, one of my highest priorities is battery life, and I suspect the 128MB video would reduce it. I don't game, so 64MB is probably better for me.

I got two 400MHz 512MB DDR-II sticks. The HP website lists an upgrade to 1GB of 400/533MHz DDR-II at $499. It is not clear what they are offering, since the configuration already included 1GB of 400MHz DDR-II.

The unit came with a Matshi ta UJDA765aDVD/CDRW. You can buy a MultiBay II DVD+/-RW (they don't say what kind) separately for $300, but you can't upgrade. I asked about it, but they said that was just the way it is.

 

mtnmasher, what about the NX8220? It has the 533Mhz DDR2 memory, DVD+/-RW drive, an ATI X600 w/128MB and is generally identical to the NC8230 except for a few small things I mentioned in an earlier post. It may only have a 1yr warranty, but you can buy an extension and get 3yrs with it. It come out to approx the same price with the added warranty.

-Vb-

 

thanks for the prompt reply mtnmasher - that answers my question!

karlth - where did you get to see both the NC8230 and NW8220 in person? I live in Washington, DC, but I'm not aware of a dealer in this area who has this in a showroom.

 

Venombite, the nx8220 isn't available in the US. Do you know of any Canadian retailers who sells this unit and ships to the US?

 

Venombite,

I couldn't find the NX8220 configured the way you describe. Could you provide a link?

 

mtnmasher, HP doesn't have any units pre-configured with the 128MB video option. That's why I went with the build to order model. It would have been nice if they shipped at least one model with 128MB. But, it's okay. I can wait.

The prices for the memory upgrades that HP is charging are ridiculous. you could get 1 GB (2x512) DDR-2 sodimms 533 Mhz for about $230 from an online retailer and just sell your current memory on ebay or something.

As far as the drive, I seriously doubt that it can't be upgraded. It sounds like HP is blowing smoke. Matsush(it)a drives can be purchased retail. I don't see why an aftermarket Matsushta burner wouldn't work in there, especially if you swap bezels.

 

Venombyte,

Got it, but both configurations say 400MHz DDR-II. Is there another configuration somewhere?

 

Here's the build-to-order link.

http://h71016.www7.hp.com/ctoBases.asp?oi=E9CED&BEID=19701&SBLID=&ProductLineId=430&FamilyId=2075&LowBaseId=12424&LowPrice=$1,599.00&familyviewgroup=79&viewtype=Matrix

You're right, the DVD/CD-RW drive would probably be worthless if you decided to upgrade. But, you never know, there could be someone out there looking for it.

 

murphy, karlth is in Europe. I believe Finland. the nx8220 is only available in Canada, which is unfortunate for those of us in the US who are interested.

 

By the way, the build to order link has only been up for about two weeks.

 

Mclassic,
Sorry, my bad. I thought they would have had this option in the US since it's available in Canada. There's not that many retaillers that sell the business product lines in Canada. These product lines are mainly available directly from HP. But there are some that do carry the business products.

www.CompuSmart.com
www.CDW.ca

I'm not sure if they will ship into the US, but it's worth a look.


Mtnmasher,
It should be on their www.hp.ca site, just goto Online Shopping, Notebooks, and will be near the bottom of the "For Business" list. It'll list off 4 units (English & French) for 2 different models. The PU313UA & PU314UA. The 314 model has the specs I mentioned. The way HP designed their site, if I post a link directly to the area with the info, it'll give an SQL error. Just follow my steps to their site and it should be there.

-Vb-

 

mclassic,

I wasn't clear in my previous post. HP will sell you a DVD writer that will go into the bay in the nc8230, but you are stuck buying the reader if you get a pre-configured unit. I guess you could sell the reader on ebay, but who would buy it?

I didn't know there was a build-to-order option. Could you provide a link?

 

Oh, in case you missed it, HP is offering a $100 rebate on the nc8230 until the end of April. So, if you didn't factor that in to the price difference, then you only end up paying $30 more over your current system. That's assuming you've included tax and shipping in your pricing as well.

Here's the rebate link...

http://h71016.www7.hp.com/html/pdfs/AprilPromotion-RebateClaimForm.pdf

 

Well blow me down! I can get the system configured the way I want it for only $130 more than I paid for this pre-configured one!

533MHz DDR-II instead of 400MHz
7200rpm HDD instead of 5400rpm
DVD+-RW instead of DVD ROM

Ship date 3 weeks from now.

I guess this one is going back. Thanks mclassic!

 

Benchmarks show that the 7200 RPM drive makes a negligible difference in battery life. The memory might do more to drain battery life. Either way, I don't think the difference will be significant with your new configuration.

I'm going with a 7200 RPM and 1GB of memory (2 x 512). It should be a pretty sweet setup.

 

Whoa, is it my birthday??

By the way, here is an update, although mostly redundant. I have grown to like this machine quite a bit. The keyboard and display are excellent, and I have grown to depend on the three button touch pad; especailly the auto-scroll function the middle button activates. This function, in conjunction with tapping, have reduced my dependence on the left touchpad button to the point where it is a vary small issue, or a non issue. The battery life is excellent, although it might suffer a little with faster RAM and HDD. The unit is very solid. Overall, I am very happy with the unit, especially now that I know I can get the configuration I want for only a few bucks more. It is a keeper. (Well, it's replacement will be.)

 

With respect to the memory power dissipation, the system speed steps down when you go on battery, so guess it should not be a concern.

It will cost $50 extra to get 128MB of video ram. Is there any reason not to go for it, even though I don't need it now?

The biggest downside to this is that I will have to go without for 3 weeks.

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by mclassic

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by mtnmasher

 

Can someone find out the size and weight of the power adapter? I hope it is not big and heavy. My frind has a Compaq laptop which came with a big and heavy one.

Thank you.

Michaelmorio

 

I'm trying to decide between the NC8230 and a ThinkPad T43 with the FlexView IPS screen. I saw one post that compared the display on the NC8230 to a Brightview, which is HP's glossy screen found in their consumer notebooks.

Has anyone seen both IBM's FlexView display as well as the screen on the NC8230? I'm very curious to know how these compare.

Otherwise, I'm leaning toward the HP, especially now that I found one (part PR175UA) for only $1477 after the rebate! Now that's downright cheap for a Sonoma widescreen with a 3 year warranty and dual pointing devices.

 

I'm on the verge of purchasing the NX8220 (PU314UA model) from HP Canada. I'm turning in the Toshiba Tecra A4 I purchased a couple weeks back.

One of my beefs with the Tecra is the annoying clicking sound made upon releasing a key. Not an issue with a lot of ambient noise around, but enough to drive me nuts in a quiet office/home setting. Think of the sound a mouse button makes, then extrapolate that to 50 or so wpm.

To those that are using the NX8220/NC8230: how is noise level from the keyboard? Does it make a low-pitched or high-pitched click?

Thanks.

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by opm

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by michaelmorio

 

Hi karlth

Thank you your info. By the way where(which country) do you live? If you are in the U.S. the adapter you have will be the one I will have if I dociede to go with this.
Also, could you be more specific about the size and weight? One more question. is it a 3-pronged?

Thank you.

Michaelmorio

 

I noticed that the NW8240 is now on HP's site as of 4/5/05, but it appears to have dual pointing devices according to the spec sheet.

regarding my last question, can anyone (perhaps former ThinkPad owners) tell me how the NC8230 display compares to IBM's flexview IPS display?

thanks in advance...

 

The nw8240 is the one I was really looking at, unfortunatelly it is unconfigurable . THe mobility fireGL is a definite plus. the nc is a good value though. Maybe I should go with that one. any1 ordered the nw yet?

 

I seriously considered moving over to the nw8240. But, I wasn't sure what impact such a high-end video card would have on battery life.

Now that the nw8240 has shown up on HP's web site, I'm very concerned that an nx8220 will eventually show up as well. No on in HP that I've spoken to has given me any indication that the nx8220 will be sold in the US.

 

On my System Properties => General tab of the
Control Panel, I see "1.00 GB of RAM", rather than
1.00 GB - 64 MB (936 MB). So assuming I am checking
this correctly, I guess that would suggest that
it uses dedicated video RAM.

-- Adam

 

I just checked HP's site and I saw that all the NC8230 models with the 64mb X600 are "shared memory." I then called HP directly and the rep confirmed that all the 64mb units have shared rather than dedicated graphics memory.

This doesn't sound right so I was hoping an NC8230 owner out there could check the system properties to see if the system is seeing 512mb RAM or 448mb RAM?

 

I also just ordered the nc8230. I went for the 1280 x 800 display. I have a Powerbook G4 alum 15" (which runs at 1280 x 854) and I like this resolution. I was thinking about the 1680 x 1050 resolution, but it just seems too high for a 15" LCD. I wondering, which resolution the rest of the forum users are going with and why?

I have a 23" Cinema display which means I'll have to get the Dock (which does DVI) to drive the larger LCD. When mobile, the bigger icons/text at 1280 x 800 made more sense and easier on the eyes.

For those that got their nc8230, please post some photos. I'll post some upon getting my laptop.

 

mclassic when is your 8230 due
hope to see a good review (3 more weeks for mine)
i was holding out for the new farrari but i like every thing about
the 8230(no dvi?) so i got in line

 

i opted for the wsxga+ display, 1600 x 1050 resolution. I wanted the extra screen real estate. Yes, text and icons are small. But, they can be adjusted in Windows display properties.

I'm thinking about getting the docking station too, because I'm considering getting rid of my desktop computer. But, before I make any quick decisions, I want to try using the notebook for a while to see if I can live without my desktop.

 

can you get a pc card with dvi out
i got the wsxga+
does the + stand for glare type screen
was not sure on this

 

mofunk, mine is estimated to ship on 4/23. I ordered the 128MB video option with mine so it's on back order. So, I think it will be about 3 weeks before I get mine as well. What configuration did you go for?

The WSXGA+ doesn't mean glare-type. Normal SXGA+ is 1400 x 1050 resolution. WSXGA+ is 1600 x 1050 resolution. I'm pretty certain that the only glare-type displays available only come in WXGA resolution.

I'm not aware of a PC Card with DVI out capability. Your best options are to get a VGA to DVI adapter or get the docking station which has a DVI out port on it.

Hope that helps.

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by mofunk

 

my ship day is 4/20
i think our spec's are about the same
i got te 512 ram because i was not sure what they were going to
put in the 8230 & i thought i would just up grade ram my self
no need for dvdw (i have a nice desktop)
i read that this lcd is a nice one (wsxga+)
most of my gamming is done at home on the 20inch
but i would like to see some numbers with this notebook
i like the layout of the 8230 vs v6v and i think this one is more
durable
would love to here from more owners
thanks for info so far

 

the v6v has less video ram and slower cpu
also no s-video and the screen res is low
if you order the hp you get 100$ rebate in april

 

filoD - if you google nc8200 you'll see the pcmag review, and if you google nc8230 you'll see the reviews from pcworld and cnet.

here is another good review from CRN:
http://www.crn.com/sections/testcenter/infrastructure/infrastructure.jhtml?articleId=59300486

I also read a user review on Amazon (on the FS550 page) where a guy got rid of his Sony FS550 and was MUCH happier with the NC8230, which says something considering the display and build quality on the FS550. besides, if you order from HP they offer a 30-day return policy.

 

murphyja - thank you for the links.

mofunk - thank you for the rebate info. I noticed that in addition to the $100 mail rebate, there is another one for $75? Can you combine these two?

FiloD

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by mofunk

 

I read somewhere that the nc8230 is graphite? Can someone confirm? I have to agree that you will get more value with the 8230 than the v6 and the form is not that bad either. Frankly I liked it a lot, very professional looking. Thanks again.

 

Sorry for this one but I can't seem to edit..I posted and asked me to go back, then it just quoted myself!

 

mclassic - thank you. The $100 is good enough for me to offset some of the sales tax..it will be sweet if the $75 will be on top of that.

I am waiting for your review on this model, but it looks like it will take time before you get the unit! I hope I can wait a little longer....I liked the price/value of the 71v but not the form factor, not until I see you guys discussing the nc8230. Looks like it is thin, good specs and 3 year warranty too for a few more $. That made me re-think of what I have been considering w3 - nc8230 - v6 - z71v (used to be z71v - w3 - v6) lol.

 

FiloD, I evaluated pretty much the same systems as yourself. The Z71 was out immediately because of the its dimensions. I owned an M6Ne and knew immediately that the Z71 pretty much had the same dimensions. I don't find the Z71 to be very nice looking either.

The W3 is nice but I don't want a WXGA screen. And, there aren't many other comparable 14" options. I realized that 15" notebooks seemed to be a bit more popular than 14" notebooks. So, it came down to the V6, which I didn't give any attention to when it was announced. I just couldn't bring myself to live with the dimensions of 15" notebooks. But, I changed my mind when I discovered that there were some relatively thin, light and portable 15" notebooks.

When HP announced their new line of notebooks, I gave a hard look at the nc6230. It's thin, light, and 14". Then, I discovered that it did not come with Firewire. Sure, I could resolve this by buying a PCMCIA firewire card. But, considering it's price and X300 graphics, why not set up to nc8230?

The nc8230 isn't much bigger by comparison either. And, after reading the reviews on the nc8230, that pretty much helped me make up my mind. I think I'll be pretty happy with my choice after months of evaluating different notebooks. I didn't do enough evaluation before I purchased the M6Ne and made a big mistake. So, taking my time this time around should be well worth it.

PC world says that the nc8230 is black and graphite. The display is housed in magnesium alloy.

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by FiloD